Byron softball players each pick a cause to champion

BYRON — Like all softball teams, there are nine positions in Byron’s lineup.

But there are also nine causes in that lineup.

Plus, a cause for each player on the bench and another team-wide cause.

The Tigers are in the second year of their ‘Who Do You Play For?’ campaign, where each player picks a charity they want to honor with their play as well as help out. Byron players are asked to fill out a form before the season listing the organization they want to represent, with a brief description of what it is and a rationale of why they chose that charity.

“There are so many different choices to choose from, each one special and unique in its own way, and they all mean something. It’s hard to pick one, because we want to support them all, but this one stuck out to me,” said outfielder Tatiana Leon, who chose A Night To Remember.

A Night To Remember is a prom for special needs students ages 14 to 25 tonight at Heartland Church in Rockford. Leon will arrive at five, get assigned a girl, go with her to get her hair and makeup done, share a limo ride with her around town, walk the red carpet with her, take pictures with her, eat dinner and attend the dance with her.

“They don’t really get a special night to call their own, but every other high school and even elementary and middle school student looks forward to a night that they never forget,” Leon said. “I love that we get to give them that chance. It brings tears to my eyes that people care that much for them and do that for them.”

As a team, Byron also supports The Wounded Warrior Project and will wear special camouflage uniforms with a U.S. flag decal in their eight-team Dawg Daze tournament Saturday in Byron.

“We’re just so proud of our local veterans,” Byron coach Evan Burris said. “It reminds us that we want to give back.

“There is a team building element to this, there is a service element and there is a character element. We want to play winning softball, but our philosophy is developing lifelong skills within the context of playing winning softball. This is part of that.”

“You are playing for something that is bigger than just yourself,” said outfielder Megan Carr, who picked the V Foundation started by former North Carolina State basketball coach Jim Valvano because there is a history of cancer in her family. “If you strike out, it’s tough, but there are other things that are more important.

“I know I like it and my team likes it. We all have our different charities, but as a whole, we are playing for others and playing for each other. It shows our character too. Of course, we want to win softball games and a conference championship, but in a bigger perspective, there are always things out there bigger than softball.”

Outfielder Kassie Rosecke also has a personal connection to her cause: Spread the Love, which is dedicated to getting people to stop saying the word “retarded.”

“I never understood the real meaning of why they would want to get rid of the ‘R’ word so much until they brought it up at school,” Rosecke said. “It is very hurtful to people who have disabilities. It’s not appropriate to say. These are people who may be really bright and live their life no matter how difficult or how different it may be.

“I was very excited to pick something, and this was the first thing that came into my mind because I have a reading disability. I always tried to hide it from the world. It’s not a great feeling when you are in different classes than other kids, but this made me realize no matter how different you are, everyone can achieve greatness.”

The Tigers (6-7, 2-2 Big Northern West) won’t catch undefeated Stillman Valley or Rock Falls in the conference standings, but they are still leaving their mark.